‘Tis the Season to Be Planting

I love fall. The trees touched with the Masters paintbrush. The nip in the morning air. The clear skies. The fact that your lawn remains green, but only needs to be mowed every couple of weeks. And, best of all, the bargains at the garden centres. My Dutch blood warms right up to those 50% off of all remaining nursery stock signs. In the fall my van is stripped of its back seats, lined with a big sheet of plastic; ready at all times to haul trees, should I pass by an unexpected sale. I’ve endured stares at stop signs, you know, from the un-gardeners, those who just don’t get why jungle lady would drive with foliage obstructing every inch of window space. And then there are eager fellow gardeners who see, and want, and wave me over to see where the sale is.

It’s not just the bargains that excite me; it’s that last chance to plant before winter. Fall is, in fact, the best time to plant. Plants are becoming dormant this time of year and require less attention. They are not asking to be fertilized, nor are they screaming for water on a daily basis like late spring and summer. They are just happy to be put in a permanent spot where they can nestle in for the winter. Evenings are cooler, rains are usually more frequent and the new plants needs are met primarily by nature.

The best benefit of planting any plant material in the fall is that they spend all of their energy on developing great roots in their new location. They will continue to develop their roots until the ground freezes. When spring arrives, they will have settled in nicely and will spend more of their energy on great foliage and flowers. When we plant in the spring, the plant is dividing its loyalties between developing great roots and showing off its new foliage and flowers.

It is important not to get totally caught up in ‘the bargain’. Although there are many to be had, it is important to check out the stock thoroughly. Deciduous trees should be well branched, and have a straight, solid trunk with no nicks or splits in it. If there is still foliage remaining on the branches, check for any insect or disease issues. Deciduous shrubs should be well branched on all sides. If the top appears a little leggy, feel free to purchase it, but give it a good trim prior to planting. Evergreen trees and shrubs should be well needled all around the plant with no bare patches. Most evergreens cannot be cut back significantly. Trimming off the previous summers growth is fine, but when they are cut back to old growth, they will not re-grow well from the trimmed branch. So purchasing a good-looking specimen is especially important for evergreens.

If you’ve taken advantage of the fall bargains, much of your spring planting will be finished, and next spring you’ll be seen with a golf club in your hand instead of a shovel.

Farewell Flowers

Alas! Tis that time of year again. The time when we bid farewell to the nodding blossoms that have graced our gardens throughout the spring and summer. It’s time to rip out the annuals, chop back the perennials, and wrap up any of our more tender plants.

I liked to consider this a family bonding time. My kids always had two P.D. days, luckily for me, at the end of October. We would spend one day preparing my gardens for winter, and the other day doing something else fun together. Like gardening isn’t fun enough! While I tried, hard, to pass off this gardening ritual as an environmental education day, my kids were quite clear that it was just plain slave labour.

Well, eventually, my slave labour was lost due to driver’s licenses that gave them the freedom to just leave, and eventually they all packed up for college or got married. So, all alone, needing to do the work of four people rather than just one, it was time to work smarter, not harder.

It was time to get out the lawn mower! What a wonderful machine. Not only does it mow our lawns into lovely carpets of green, but it can also mow down a perennial bed in a matter of minutes. No more bending, stooping and chopping for me, no sir! I adjusted my blades to the highest setting possible, sat on my John Deere, and mowed over every garden in sight.

This is, by far, the best and quickest method to put your garden to rest too. Perennials can be cut back to within an inch of the soil, just enough to protect their crown. Mow over all of the plant material, blowing the debris into the grass beside the flowerbed. It may take a couple of passes with your mower. Once all the material is on the grass, mow over it again, three or four times until it is chopped finely, about the size of a loonie. Then, mow over the chopped materials and blow them back into your gardens. The plant waste will break down over the winter and provide nutrition and humus for your soil.

The same is true for all of those leaves blowing about your yard. Leaves are food for your gardens. Instead of raking, mow them into windrows and then mow over them two or three times until they are finely chopped. Again, blow the resulting materials onto your flowerbeds. It’s nature’s way, really, and it will limit the amount of compost and manure you will have to add to your soil next spring.

The only leaves you should not blow back into your garden are those of the oak or walnut tree and foliage from roses. Using these leaves may result in soil or disease problems next year.

So, instead of spending a day or two chopping, stooping and raking, spend a couple of hours with your friend, John Deere. In no time you’ll be sitting on your porch sipping a hot chocolate while you watch your neighbours slugging in their gardens.